What Alice Found There
by northern.grunge
Summary: Word of Alice’s departure reaches the White Queen in a parallel Wonderland. Now Alice and Hatter have been brought back through the Looking-Glass by a terrified Pawn to rescue Wonderland from the inevitable rule of the Red Queen. Hatter/Alice.
1. Prologue

What Alice Found There

_Word of Alice's departure reaches the White Queen in a parallel Wonderland. Now Alice and Hatter have been brought back through the Looking-Glass by a terrified Pawn to rescue Wonderland from the inevitable rule of the Red Queen. _

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Prologue 

_The White Queen's Dethroning_

* * *

_The Queen rested on the windowsill in her bedroom, overlooking the vast expanse of her beautiful kingdom. It had flourished under her husband's gentle rule. The Madrigal Flowers sang peacefully in their fields, far away from the Ballad Flowers. In between them sat Wonderland's first official township. The White Queen's delicate lips twitched into a smile as she remembered the difficulties of teaching the Wonderlanders to live together. _

_Beyond her castle lay the Glass Sea, a thin solid sheet of cooled glass covered the pit of molten sand beneath it. The Glass Sea circled her kingdom like a protecting mote. _

_She reminisced on her years as Queen. She had wandered to Wonderland from another world, one that felt so far away now. When she fell down the rabbit hole that had led her here she was a mere twelve years old, but time went differently in Wonderland. It seemed to travel slowly when going backwards, as it often did, but every so often it would race forward and years would pass in a day. Sometimes a minute was an hour and a day was a second, so no amount of time-keeping was ever held at high importance. The Queen decided that in her world it had been four years but here… well here she had not a clue how long it had been since her rule began. _

_Her sad eyes found the old silver clock that perched above her bed, a constant reminder of her time drawing to a close. 12:04, she read. And soon it would be 12:03, then 12:02, then 12:01 and then, finally... 12:00. It was March 25__th__ and according to the ancient stories and prophecies and poems and myths- tomorrow, the 24__th__ ended her reign as Queen. In that minute a Pawn burst through her door, shattering her calm. _

_"I beg your pardon. I am your Queen and you will knock!" Her voice was regal, used to years of being better than everyone else. She rose above the white Pawn, creating a lovely willowy silhouette against the clear light grey sky. His short-snowy beard shivered and his bright blue eyes clouded with fear. _

_"My dear Queen, please, it is urgent."_

_"Well do spit it out then." She stood straight and still, her thin white hair cascading around her without its normal luster. _

_"Alice has left Wonderland." The White Queen's heart stopped and heat rose to her cheeks and ears. Her remaining 3 minutes where spent chasing about the castle giving orders and scribbling instructions on parchment. Until 12:00 came. In the elongated time between 12:01 and 12:00 a red army dotted in white snow had every inch of the castle covered, except for a tiny window to its rear. Out of this tiny window climbed a Pawn. The self-same Pawn who had informed Her Majesty of Alice's departure. _

_By 1:00 (which arrived about a day later than expected) the entire castle had been gutted. If anything was left it was either life-less or had been driven mad by the brutal attack. _

_The Queen, who was no longer the Queen, kept her regal chin held high as she was escorted in chains from the castle. Her face was dampened by the occasional tear. The army had slaughtered the White King, and Alice was not on the Eighth Square of Sessa. Her kingdom would crumple under the rule of her sister the Red Queen and, to the best of her knowledge, no one was left to return Alice to the throne. _

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Author's Note: Just so we're clear… the White/Red Queen/King is not the same White/Red Queen/King in Through the Looking Glass. I've actually never read the book… so it can't be the same character or else I would get them totally mixed up and Lewis Carroll would rise from the grave and steal my breath while I slept. And also, know that this a parallel Wonderland so there may or may not be a Jack, Duchess, or Queen ect. Hatter and Alice will appear in the next chapter so please, review!


	2. Do You Believe in Fate?

Chapter One

_Do You Believe in Fate?_

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Hatter sat in Alice's bedroom, resting his back against the cool dry-wall of her apartment. He began nonchalantly tossing around his black fedora. He found it's shape didn't quite match his head as well as his old hat, so he preferred to make it dance intimately with his quick fingers. Alice was comfortably stretched out across the perfectly made bed. Her fingers clicked carefully at the laptop in front of her. Although Hatter disapproved of the idea, she was searching for a job.

He had only gotten to Carroll's apartment an hour earlier. Alice told her mother an elaborate tale in which she had gone to the same Middle School as 'David' and they'd always held a secret fondness for each other. Included in this tale, Hatter noted with a small smile in spite of himself, was that Jack was using her.

Alice's mother, ever the proud entertainer, awkwardly asked Hatter to stay for dinner. In an attempt to ease some of he tension Alice offered to help cook, but Carroll declined: "You two look like you have some catching up to do." she said with a smile. Alice knew that her mother would hound her later for being so reckless.

"Here, you could work at a _real_ tea shop." she picked up the small device that she called a 'netbook' and joined Hatter on the floor.

"I don't see why I have to get a job. I just got here." he said, staring at his hat as it twirled in his hands, it was almost like being hypnotized.

"Work isn't as easy to come by in New York as it was in Wonderland. You can't live here forever."

"'You'?" Hatter echoed Alice's passed comment. He perched the restless hat on his knee and turned to her with a cocked eyebrow. "What happened to 'we'?" a blush tried to tint her cheeks, but she wouldn't let it.

"You know what I mean Hatter." She feigned irritation but her smile gave her away.

"Alice! Could you come here?" Carroll's voice wafted into the room. Alice set the laptop aside and hurriedly went to her mother. Hatter jumped up and followed, flipping the ill-fitting fedora onto his head.

He caught up with Alice and found Carroll at the front door. She held it open to reveal a man who was about a foot shorter than her. Alice slowly stepped forward, a quizzical expression on her face.

"May I help you?" She asked, the man was clearly not from New York. Not only was he about four feet tall, but his eyes were the lightest blue Alice had ever seen-almost white and his hair was fine and silver. Despite the deep crevices that pulled at his face he looked somewhat child-like.

"Alice of Legend." He dipped his head slightly "The White Queen is in dire need of your assistance."

"Oy..." Alice heard Hatter whisper behind her.

"Uh," Alice's attention flicked momentarily to her mother, than quickly she caught Hatter's eye. "We should um... yeah" She walked forward, head down, subtly motioning for Hatter to follow. "be back in a second mom. Don't worry, he's a... friend." Once again her mom stood stunned in front of her. They could not keep up this charade for long. Alice dreaded having to confess that she lied to her own mother.

The air was colder outside than she had remembered it being, snow had actually begun to speckle the crisp air. Alice wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she was wearing a heavier jacket.

"What's going on? Who are you?" Alice was on the verge of being livid, she spoke in undertones and glared at the short man accusingly.

"I am a loyal Pawn of the White Queen. According to Wonderland legend you are the only one who can restore her kingdom." Alice stared steadily at him, slowly stepping closer.

"No, hold it. Are you asking me to return to Wonderland? I'm not going back." She said it with a obstinacy that Hatter knew well.

"You must come. It is your fate. It is for a greater cause!" The Pawn insisted.

"How do you know what my 'fate' is? And who's to say that I even believe in fate." She shivered in spite of herself, it was freezing cold.

"You may not believe in fate, Alice of Legend, but that doesn't mean it is not there." The Pawn's eyes glimmered momentarily. For he knew something that both Alice and Hatter didn't. The Pawn knew that, at least in Wonderland, fate was very much a factor. He also knew that strange things happen to those who try to meddle with it.

At that moment Alice vanished. She was gone before the surprise reached her face. Hatter stared open-mouthed for a moment at the air that had replaced her. Outrage bubbled in him. He grabbed the short man by his white lapels and brought him close.

"Where've you taken her?" He growled. The Pawn barely looked shaken.

"I have not taken her anywhere. That was the work of fate-she literately _had _to be in Wonderland and her disappearance just righted the wrong of her leaving." Hatter's rage softened slightly under confusion.

"How is that possible?" The Pawn made a little un-amused laugh.

"I am not exactly sure... but what does it matter? Alice of Legend is en route to the Eighth Square of Sessa!" He smiled then, triumphantly, like his job was done. Hatter would see to it that it wasn't.

"Take me to her." Hatter whispered huskily, letting go of him.

"I'm sorry?" Was the Pawn timid reply.

"You said she was on her way to the Eighth Square of Sessa. Take me to her." The Pawn gawked at him confusedly, "Now!" Hatter's voice came out higher than he expected. He wanted to intimidate this Pawn, not a difficult task taking into account their heights, but he couldn't seem to extinguish that gnawing panic that set in when she vanished. The Pawn nodded curtly and hobbled away, Hatter followed with one quick glance at the closed apartment door behind him. Carroll would start to worry. _Oi_, he thought,_ she'll never forgive me for this. _


	3. Through the Looking Glass

Author's note: Sorry about the wait everyone :\ but here's your next chapter! Please enjoy slowly with a good wine :)

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Chapter 2

_Through the Looking Glass_

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_Recap: _

_ "...Alice of Legend is en route to the Eighth Square of Sessa!" He smiled then, triumphantly, like his job was done. Hatter would see to it that it wasn't. _

_ "Take me to her." Hatter whispered huskily, letting go of him._

_ "I'm sorry?" Was the Pawn's timid reply. _

_ "You said she was on her way to the Eighth Square of Sessa. Take me to her." The Pawn gawked at him confusedly, "Now!" Hatter's voice came out higher than he expected. He wanted to intimidate this Pawn, not a difficult task taking into account their heights, but he couldn't seem to extinguish that gnawing panic that set in when she vanished. The Pawn nodded curtly and hobbled away, Hatter followed with one quick glance at the closed apartment door behind him. Carroll would start to worry. _Oi,_ he thought, _she'll never forgive me for this.

* * *

Somewhere along the way in Wonderlands history someone discovered fate. Due to the strange antics of time in Wonderland the exact date of its discovery is a little sketchy- but dates don't matter. All that matters is that fate was discovered and since then it hasn't stopped butting in on important appointments, parties, or events and bossing them around. In this case it was very clear to Hatter, Alice, and the Pawn that fate wanted Alice in Wonderland. And fate would have its way.

Alice found herself on a cold, solid slab of unidentifiable origin. She kept her eyes closed and slowly breathed in- her mind not yet caught up to where her body was. Dust tickled her nose and she coughed, realizing finally that she wasn't were she should have been. Her eyes opened but nothing came into view immediately. She stiffly propped herself up on her elbows and made an attempt to sort things out.

It was cold. It was dark. And the air smelled like scorched wood. Not much to go on, she thought. She prodded the recesses of her memory to come to some conclusion as to where she was and how she had come to nap there. She was at the apartment with Hatter. That certainly explained a lot of this. Her memory supplied the bits in between and then came to the door- and the little Pawn. A suspicion wiggled its way up her spine... she jumped to her feet. The darkness around her had receded slightly into grey- there was a light source. It came from just above the jagged edge of a wall. She stood on her toes and pulled herself up as high as she could onto the wall. This was quite clearly not New York.

A short distance from the wall she found the charred remains of a walnut bed and realized that the dust she had breathed in was not dust at all- it was ash. At the former head lay an unharmed clock. In the dull light it appeared new but the hands that had once labored to keep up with the strange Wonderland time were now at peace, resting eternally on 12:00. Against the stone wall and just across from the bed gleamed an unframed mirror. It bent the little light that it caught in strange ways and Alice imagined that it might have the ability to ferry people from one world to the next. She was, in fact, half-right.

* * *

It was a very good thing that no one was out and about tonight. The strange little man would've doubtlessly received attention. Hatter had expected to be led to the construction site where he would've followed the Pawn through the largish ornamented mirror. He had no such luck. What was left of Hatter's luck once he found Alice had flitted away when the Pawn knocked on Carroll's door. The mirror that the Pawn took Hatter to lay quietly in an uninviting alley. Hatter held his breath, the alley held scents that he didn't dare name. The Pawn didn't seem to notice the stench as he hobbled up to the abandoned mirror. He stopped to the side of it and waited for Hatter to catch up. He stared at the mirror, not convinced that it would lead to the same place as the other mirror.

"What, do all mirrors lead to Wonderland or somthing?" he asked the Pawn with a little laugh- unable to remain completely serious for long periods of time.

"No, of course not." The Pawn looked at him as one looks at someone who has just asked if all mirrors lead to Wonderland and answered in the only way he knew how. "All mirrors lead to New York... you just have to reverse the polarity and..." Hatter held up a hand

"Forget it." he stepped back from the mirror and ran at it head-long, diving back into where he came from. He assumed, as he fell head first down the odd vacuum, that the Pawn had followed him. What he didn't know was that exactly 13 seconds after he jumped into the mirror two things happened. 1) The Pawn cautiously stepped towards the mirror readying himself to plummet through it and 2) the mirror ceased to work.


End file.
